MELANDRA CASTLE, DERBYSHIRE. 1 5 



the width, and the extent of the walls, shows plainly that the 

 station was a most important one, and their solidity proves that 

 the Romans had fully made up their minds for a lengthened 

 occupation. 



I have here a portion of cement, or concrete, from Melandra, 

 used for filling up the interior of the walls. It is composed of 

 gravel and sand from the river bed, and united by magnesium lime 

 from Ardwick, Manchester, which is another link in the chain 

 confirming that Melandra was contemporary with the Roman forts 

 at Stockport and Manchester. Whittaker, in his History of Ma7i- 

 chester, iT]^, says on this point, " In making the Roman mortar, 

 the sand was mingled with the lime, unrefined by the screen, and 

 charged with all its gravel and pebbles. On breaking it, some 

 of the mortar appears to have been tempered with powdered 

 brick ; small fragments of the latter very prettily chequering the 

 surface, and being thoroughly incorporated with the said substance. 

 The lime was not derived from the hills of Euxton or Clitheroe, 

 which have long supplied the town with that necessary fossil. The 

 Roman is strikingly different from that of both in its colour, being of 

 a much shadier and browner hue." Whittaker, when writing this 

 description of the cement, had no knowledge that such a place as 

 Melandra Castle existed, yet his description corresponds with this 

 portion I found there. About two years ago during sewage 

 operations at Stockport, a Roman brick kiln was discovered, also 

 a large number of tiles and bricks of all descriptions. These 

 correspond in shape, colour, etc., with the bricks and tiles found at 

 Melandra, the latter having evidently been made there. They are 

 made of Permean Marl and sand in various proportions. This 

 kind of marl does not exist in the neighbourhood of Melandra, and 

 is not to be found nearer than Stockport, at the spot where the 

 brick kiln is. 



In 1 84 1, Messrs. Sheplev, of Brookfield, had occasion to make 

 a "race," "goyt," or "cut," as it is variously locally called, in 

 connection with their mill dam, and discovered a stone cofifin 

 within a hundred yards to the east of the station. Among the 

 (ie^'ris was also a coin of Domitian, who was Emperor of 



